Snapshot of the past - Nielsen's Railway Hotel

A photograph of Nielsen's Railway Hotel in Princes Way, Drouin c1910s.
The hotel was located at 41-43 Princes Way and the road in the foreground is Main South Rd.
The business of William Charles Fuhrmann's general store, grocery business and timber yard is on the right-hand side. The Fuhrmann family ran this store for nearly 30 years, from 1897 until 1927.
Fanny and Peter Nielsen owned the Railway Hotel building but it was Fanny who was the hotel licensee. The 1908 electoral roll shows Fanny as hotel keeper and Peter as grazier.
Fanny was born at Jeetho near Korumburra. Her family were the Blews, who were very early settlers of the area.
Peter was born in Denmark, arriving in Australia from New Zealand around 1881. He worked with Fanny's brothers helping to clear land and they married in 1886 on the Blew family farm.
Peter was one of the first councillors for the Jumbunna Riding.
Around the end of 1898, Peter and Fanny leased the Poowong Hotel. They moved to Drouin in 1906.
Though they owned the Railway Hotel building until 1921, it seems that Fanny was only the licensee for about four years. They moved to Queensland around 1912 to take up dairy farming in the Southport area.
Photograph and information courtesy of the Drouin History Group.
To find out more about the group and its activities, visit drouinhistorygroup.org.au